Umbrella
by Masqued
Summary: "Buddy..." Violet said. "You've... you're seriously messed up, you know that?"    He let out a laugh. Gods, how she missed his laugh. "That's what I have you for. To balance me out."


Umbrella

A Synlet Oneshot.

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><p>I own nothing.<p>

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><p>The bench was a lonely one. Sitting underneath an aged oak, overlooking the lake and decorated with names long past, only one person sat underneath the tree. In her hands she held a book, though her eyes had been dancing across it for the past hour and she hadn't been paying much attention to the words.<p>

Her mind wasn't on the book but on the world around her. Observing people and their interactions with each other was a sort of hobby for her. She enjoyed it, and tried to figure out, as best as she could, their stories. For the past ten minutes her eyes had been trained on a girl and her mother, though she was careful not to look directly at them.

Their relationship was similar to the one Violet had once had with her mother, a few years ago. But now, they more or less had grown apart, despite that she visited them every Sunday for dinner. It wasn't necessarily her mother's fault, or even Dash or Robert. Violet's choices were the reason she had grown so apart.

They didn't understand them, and it was likely that they never would. Not that it mattered anymore.

Her eyes flickered to the sky, a gray and dreary day, not usually one for play time at the park. Droplets shattered like glass on her skin. Violet closed her book. She wasn't enjoying it, maybe, but it didn't mean that she wanted the pages ruined. Within the next few minutes her hair was soaked and so were her clothes. They clung to her as an extra skin. It wasn't as nearly as uncomfortable as a wet supersuit.

But then, the rain stopped. Violet glanced up and hid her surprise; the man standing before her? She hadn't seen him in three years. He hadn't even been on the television lately, and he, she knew, loved the attention it brought him. But somehow he had disappeared, and she'd be lying if she said she hadn't been worried.

Not just for his own safety, but others, too.

There would always be that lingering doubt, but it was only a tickle in her mind, really. After all, there hadn't been a robot attacking Metroville in years.

"Buddy," she greeted. He looked no different then he had three years before- his favorite white suit, and his hair, neatly tied in the back, was still as red as ever. He had bags under his eyes, slightly bruised. He wasn't getting enough sleep.

He'd always been an insomniac, but when they'd been together, sleep came easier for him. Now, she wasn't so sure.

"You'll catch a cold in this weather, genius." He said, smirking. She ignored his remark. She'd only been in the rain for a few seconds, maybe a minute, at most. And it wasn't possible to catch a cold in the rain- it was a viral illness of the upper respiratory system. Violet ignored the part of her that wanted to point that out.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Offering you an umbrella," he said, as if it was obvious. He held it out, but she ignored it. She began walking away, and he followed. She kind of figured he would.

"How have you been?" Buddy asked. Violet opened her mouth to reply, but closed it. She wanted to say fine, which she was, but she didn't feel as if he deserved a reply. It had been three years since he had broken up with her. Three years, and in that time frame, she'd moved on. Sure, sometimes, her heart would still ache for him. If she caught the scent of apples, Violet would immediately hold herself, like he used to. If something was said, she'd be thrown into a flashback of some odd moment of them, together, and happy.

But she'd moved on.

And he was here, asking about her. "I'm..." fine was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't say it. Her mouth wouldn't allow her to lie. But she didn't want to admit weakness in front of him, either. "...okay," she settled. It wasn't a total truth,

but it wasn't a lie, either.

Violet paused. "And you?"

He shrugged. "Can't complain."

Violet walked again. She'd walked to the park in the hopes of getting caught in the rain. It was stupid, she knew, but she enjoyed the rain. It reminded her of them, on the roof together, making love.

She missed that, and the way it felt on her skin.

"Do you have a car?" He asked. Violet shook her head, and Buddy frowned. "Are you begging to get sick?"

"No," Violet said. "I just enjoy the rain, is all."

He cocked his head to the side, then shook it. "You're coming with me."

"And what for?" She demanded. "I can walk home by myself, thanks, or have you forgotten what I am?" He smirked, that arrogant smirk of his that she loved to hate and hated to love. It defined him for who he was- an arrogant genius who knew what he was talking about, even if you hated him for it.

"How can I?"

Her eyes narrowed and she turned, walking away from him and the safety of the umbrella. It was raining harder now. The water droplets were thicker, and if it was possible, she was even more soaked than before. But, to be honest, Violet didn't care. Not for any reason in particular- she did enjoy the rain, after all.

And it gave Buddy a reason to chase after her.

Maybe she wanted him to.

"Babe," he said, "You're soaking wet and you'll get sick if you don't get into some dry clothes. I'm offering to take you to my place so you can get warm. Thats it."

"And why do you care?" Violet dared to ask. Dared to wonder. Why did he care? When did he suddenly give a crap about her well being? Because she must have missed the memo- even when they had been in a relationship with each other, he'd always been cold.

Like the rain.

It made her wonder why she loved them so much.

"Violet," her breath hitched. He never used her name. It was always 'babe' or 'princess,' but never her name. Violet paused as he grasped her hand. Her skin was on fire, her nerves screaming and aching for him. Was he so capable of making her feel like nothing in moments? Yes, yes he was. "I'm trying to make it better."

"Why?" The question again. Why? It was always why? Why did she want to know? Because she deserved to. And she desperately needed to know, if only for her sanity's sake.

"Because- I..." he paused. He'd always been eloquent, it was Violet who'd never been one for words. She stared up at him, cold and demanding, like a winter's frost. He shuddered. Now, looking at her, he was reduced to nothing. She always made him feel like that.

And he needed it.

Everyone needed a reality check once in a while.

"You've no idea what it did to me, when you broke up with me, do you?" Violet asked. Her voice was barely a whisper above the rain.

"Maybe not," Buddy admitted. "But you've no idea what it did to me, either."

She looked away. Admittedly, she hadn't thought of that. She'd only been thinking of her own pain.

"Then why?"

"A combination of things. Your parents, mostly." He said. He always had this quality of being brutally honest. Sometimes she hated that about him. But on days like today, Violet was glad.

"They haven't interfered in my life since then. Not really."

"You've always been your own person, Princess. It's more or less the fact that I'd be marrying into the Incredible family that got me."

Violet paused at that and raised a brow. Buddy pulled out a small velvet box and opened it. There was a simple, glittering diamond on a silver band. Nothing fancy, but Violet detested gaudy rings, and he'd remembered that. She opened her mouth to speak, staring at it, but she could hardly believe. He'd been going to propose, but instead, he broke up with her.

"I've been carrying it around for four years or so now." He admitted.

"Buddy..." Violet said. "You've... you're seriously messed up, you know that?"

He let out a laugh. Gods, how she missed his laugh. "That's what I have you for. To balance me out."

"I'm not saying yes, you know." She told him. "You've got to prove to me you regret it." He bent down and his lips met hers. Violet closed her eyes. The taste of him, the smell of him, it was more than she could bear. Because honestly, in those three years? She hadn't moved on. How could she, when the love of her life had broken up with her?

"Believe me, Violet, I do."

Violet took his arm, smiled, and the two walked underneath the umbrella together.


End file.
